Lamp



Dec. 11, 1928. 1,694,593

R. GRAF LAMP Filed July 29, 1926 flu e/2102" Ezmard mf 41/ p. my

Patented Dec. 11, 1926.

ra ses entree stares rarest oFFicE.

RICHIARD GRAB, 0 SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ASEEGNOR TO GBAF -LITE CORPORATION,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LAMP.

Application filed July 29,

My invention relates to headlamps such as are used on automobiles.

The objects of the invention reside in the provision of a lamp which while projecting an adequate and efficient light so controls the light as to prevent annoying and dangerous glare particularly in the eyes of occupants of other vehicles traveling in the 0pposite direction while at the same time conforming with the laws of various localities requiring adequate illumination of the road immediately in front and'to the sides, particularly the right side, of the vehicle, and requiring an upwardly projected light.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of a lamp embodying my invention in its preferred form;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the light shield, hereinafter described;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the light shield.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates the casing of the, lamp which for purposes of assembly and accessibility consists of front and rear casing part-s releasably secured together in a manner described in my application, Serial No. 125,634, filed July 29, 1926, for improvement in lamp, the casing being provided with a suitable mounting bracket- 2.

The front of the casing is provided with a central opening at its front end in which is mounted, in a suitable manner, a condensing lens 3.

Disposed rearwardly within the casing in axial alinement with the lens 3 is a forwardly facing light concentrating cup reflector 4; having a focus therein. The reflector is provided with a conventional electric lamp socket 5, disposed on the axis of the reflector and adjustable longitudinally thereof, and mounted in this socket is a usual electric lamp 6 adjusted, by adjustment of the socket, to said focus of the reflector. The said adjustment of said socket and lamp is controlled from the exterior of the lamp by a suitable mechanism generally indicated at 7.

The rear focus of the lens is disposed forwardly of the reflector 4i. and lamp 6 at a point of concentration of the light from the reflector, and an opaque light shield 8 within 1926. Serial. No. 125,650.

the casing surrounds the focal ,axis'of the lamp between the lens 3 and reflector 4 and extends and enlarges rearwardly to the lip of the reflector with an interior generally frusto-conical reflecting surface 9 horizontally elongated in cross section forwardly, as shown at 10 in Figure 2, and gradually merging rearwardly into a circular cross section, as shown at 11 in Figure 2. The shield 8 is provided at the front end of the lower portion thereof with a vertical transverse portion 15 which is disposed in the transverse plane of the rear focus of the lens 3 and presents a horizontal lower shield edge 16 in said plane adjacent said rear lens focus, this transverse portion having a rearwardly facing reflecting surface 17 a The transverse shield portion 15 is cut away at one side thereof, as designated at 18, to form an opening below said lower shield edge 16, and is also cut away, as designated at 19, to form an additional relatively small and high opening terminating said lower shield edge 16 and extending below the same adjacent the rear lens focus and continuing the opening 18 and extending on the other side of the focal axis of the lamp. The shield 8 has the forward end of the upper portion thereof disposed rearwardly of the transverse plane of the rear focus of the lens 3 and presenting an upper and side shield edge 20 corresponding with the cross section of the frusto-conical reflecting surface 9.

The reflector 3 and shield 8 are releasably mounted in the casing 1 by brackets 21 secured on the casing and cooperating with a spring ring 22 to clamp light trapping flanges 23 of the reflector and shield in overlying relation in a manner unnecessary to be described in detail. See Figure 1.

in operation direct light from the lamp 6 and reflected light from the reflector & passes forwardly through the opening of the light shield 8 to the condensing lens 3, and the condensing lens projects the same, the upper margin of the projected light being sharply defined and corresponding with the lower shield edge 16 and the edge of the openings below the lower shield edge, designated at 18 and 19, by reason of the lens projecting a reve se image and the shield edge 16 and the ed s of the openings 18 and 19 being disposed at the transverse plane of the rear focus of the lens. The lower shield edge 16 causes the upper margin of a major part of the projected light at one side of the focal axis of the lamp to be sharply defined to the horizontal longitudinally of the projected light nd prevents annoying and dangerous glare in the eyes of occupants of vehicles traveling in the opposite direction, while the opening 18 provides a sharply defined light proj ecting upwardly, this opening 18 being disposed at the side of the shield opposite the adjacent side of the road so that this upwardly projected light is disposed, by reason of the reversing characteristic of the lens, at the adjacent side of the road. The edge of the opening 19 provides an upper margin portion or the pro ected light connecting the upper margin portions thereof provided by the lower shield edge 16 and the edges of the owning 18 with the result that the change from the upper margin portion of the projected liglit provided by the lower shield edge 16 and t iat provided by the edges of the open ing 18 is not abrupt and the light directly ahead is elevated slightly. The upwardly projected light does not cause annoying or dangerous glare by reason of the placement of the light and serves to comply with laws requiring an upwardly projected light.

T he upper and side shield edge 19 by reason of its placement rearwardly of the transverse plane of the rear focus of the lens 8 provides, by reason of the reversing characteristic of the lens 3, a light projected downwardly at a relatively great angle for the adequate illu urination of the road immediately in front of the vehicle and serves to comply with laws requiring such lightwithout interfering With the general shape of the light shield and its resulting advantages.

The interior reflecting surface 9 of the shield 8 serves for directly reflecting light from the lamp and reflector ardly as well as reflecting the same for re-reflection forwardly for the conservation and utilization of the light, and the reflecting surface 1'? serves to reflect light from the lamp refleet-or rearwardly for re-retlection for the same purpose.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention 1 do not wish to be limited t the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the sp it of my invention, but havin thus described my invention 1 claim new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following 1. In a lamp of the character described, the combination of a 'asing open at its front end, a forwardly facing light concentrating cup renrctor mounted rearwardly in said casing, an incandescent electric lamp located in the axis of the reflector so as to have its rays converged by .d reflector foiwvardly there of, a condensing lens mounted forwardly on the casing in axial alinenient with the reflector and having rear focus forwardly of said reflector and lamp at a point of convergence of said rays, and an opaque light shield extending about the focal axis of the lamp below the same between said lens and reflector and extending and enlarging rearwardlyfrom the transverse plane of the rear focus of said lens with a generally semi frusto-conical interior reflecting surface and having a vertical. transverse portion at the transverse plane of saio. rear lens focus and prcsen ng a horizontal lower shield edge adjacent said rear lens focus, said transverse portion having an opening on one side thereof below said lowershield edge, said shield permitting free emanation of the light above the focal a is of the lamp at and rearwardly adjacent said transverse plane.

In a lamp of the character described, the combination of a casing open at its front end, a forwardly facing light concentrating cup reflector mounted rearwardly in said casing and having a focus therein, an incandescent electric lamp at said focus. a condensing lens mounted forwardly on said casing in axial alinement with said reflector and having its rear focus disposed forwardly of said reflector at a point of concentration of the light therefrom, and an opaque light shield surrounding the focal axis the lamp between said re-. flector and lens and extending and ei'ilarging rearwardly to the lip of the r flector with a nerally frusto-conical interior reflecting sr "face and having a vertical transverse portion at the plane of the rear focus of the lens and presenting a horizontal lower shield edge adjacent the focal axis of the lamp, said shield having the forward end of the upper p rtiou thereof disposed rearwardly of said trans verse plane, said tran verso portion terminatadjacent the vertical plane of the focal axis of the lamp to form an opening at one side thereof below said lower shield edge and having an additional relatively small and high opening terminating said lower shield edge and extendin below the same adjacent saic rear lens focus and continuing iid opening of the shield and extending on other side of the focal axis of the lamp.

ln witness whereof I hereunto affix my signature this Qe'lth day of July, 1926.

RICHARD GRAF. 

